Coat vent construction



Aug. 3, 1954 G. RAND ETAL COAT VENT CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledSept. 15, 1953 rbk law 3, 1954 e. RAND ETAL COAT VENT CONSTRUCTION 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 15, 1953 3, 1954 e. RAND ETAL COAT VENTCONSTRUCTION S Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 15, 1953 I r I i I C i I l 5 ZI F H i U 3 I t i r. I i I i .a V: I

Patented Aug. 3, 1954 2,685,089 COAT VENT CONSTRUCTION Gustave Rand,Brooklyn, and Isaac M. Myers, New York, N. Y., assignors t Meilman &Maged, Inc., a corporation of New York Application September 15, 1953,Serial No. 380,282

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to clothing, and more particularly togarments having a free bottom edge from which a cut or indentationextends, commonly referred to as a vent.

It is known to provide such vents extending from the bottom edges of thejackets, coats, skirts and the like, but these have been constructed sothat they extend from a seam joining two garment parts, thus at the backof a coat, the seam joining two back panels extended upwardly from theapex of the indentation. Similarly, Where a jacket is side vented, theupper apices of the vents meet the seams joining the rear and sidegarment panels thereabove.

In certain garment constructions it is desirable to use a unitary panelof material, and on such garments it has been customary to use no ventsor side vents. Center vents have not been provided because when thelower edge of the rear panel is severed, in order to avoid raw edges ofthe fabric, the two raw edges require additional facings which normallylie inwardly of the garment. This requires a folding and concealment ofmaterial at the edges which produces a substantial space between the twothen free edges forming the vent. Such a vent is unacceptable and doesnot meet recognized tailoring standards and which require that when thegarment is in a normally worn and normally unstressed condition, thatthere be an overlap, so that the next underlying garment is not visibletherethrough.

It is therefore among the principal objects of the present invention toprovide a novel and useful vent construction, which although disposed ina unitary panel, does provide a substantial overlap and concealment ofseams, so that the general utility and appearance of a regular vent madein a two-piece panel, is provided.

Another object herein lies in the'pr'o'vision oi vent construction,which by virtue of its simplicity, may be manufactured in large scale atlow cost so as to have a consequent wide distribution and use.

A feature of the invention resides in the fact that manufacturingeconomies obtained by the use of a unitary panel are retained, while atthe same time a vent substantially equal to a regular vent, is provided.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fullyappear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings in which similar'reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a front view in perspective showing an embodiment of theinvention.

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view.

Figure 3 is a plan view showing a first stage in the present method.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a following stage asseen from the coat inner surface.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view as seen from theplane 5-5 on Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view as seen from the plane 3-4: onFigure 4.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary elevational view asviewed from the outersurface of 'the garment Figure 13 is a fragmentary elevational view asseen from the outer surface of thegarment (rearwardly of Fig. 11) 3 1Figure 14 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View as seen from theplane +1.4 on Figure 13. Figure 15 is a fragmentary horizontalsec'tionalView as seen frorn the plane l5-i5 on Figure l4". y

Figure 16 is a fragmentary elevational. view, corresponding generallyto. Figure '11, and fshowing an ensuing stage in construction? Figure 17is a fragmentary horizonta I view as seen from the plane lI- "-I7onFigure 16.

Figure 18 is a fragmentary elevational view as seen from the inside ofthe garment, corresponding generally to Figure 16, and showing anotherstage in construction.

Figure 19 is a fragmentary elevational view corresponding to Figure 18and showing a later stage in construction.

Figure 20 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view as seen from theplane 20-20 on Figure 19.

Figure 21 is a fragmentary elevational view, corresponding generally toFigure 19, with the bottom hem turned up.

In accordance with the invention, by means of a suitable pattern notshown, the material preferably of a knitted or woven textile, generallyindicated by reference character 20, is out along the l sectionaldash-double-dot line to produce the coat rear panel 22, and similarly,there may be cut from the material 25, two inner facings 23 and 24. Thedash-double-dot lines on Figure 3 show the pattern outline and the linesalong which the fabric is cut, and it will be understood that the blanksas removed from the material 25, will have the same outline. Inaddition, the main vent cut or slit 25 extends inwardly from the loweredge 25, which is downwardly curved, so that when the coat is worn, itbecomes level. The cut or slit 25 extends upwardly in the finishedgarment from the edge 25 to its upper end 2'3, which is disposedpreferably a short distance above the upper extremity of the juncture 28of the two finished free edges 29 and 30 of the completed vent 3 I.

After cutting, the lower edge 26 at its outer ends meets the side edges33 and 35. As seen in Figure 3, the inner surface of the dicated byreference character 35, and the outer surface by reference character 35.

Turning to Figures 4, and 6, the next step in the present methodpreferably involves the joining to the raw vent edge 51 of the edge 38of the inner facing 24 by a row of stitches 39, and similarly, the rawvent edge 50 to the edge 4! of the inner facing by a row of stitches 52.The rows of stitches 35 and 52 at their lower ends preferably extend tothe edge 26, and at their upper ends 43 and 54 preferably terminate atthe same level as the upper end 2? of the out or slit 25.

Since the edge 55 of the facing 24 will be exposed in the finishedgarment, it may be provided with a binding 55 (Figure 16) preferablyprior to its attachment to the panel 22, or it may be placed on saidedge later in the manufacture of the garment. It is desirable that aminimum of the material of which the garment is composed be disposedlaterally outward of the rows of stitches 39 and 52, as they appear inFigure 5, so that a maximum of material 25 will be available to closethe finished vent 3 I. In order to assure precise pressing with the rowof stitching 39 as close to the edge as possible, the parts may betemporarily bested (not shown), as is well known in this art.

The coat rear panel 22 is next preferably reversed from the positionshown in Figures 4 to 6,

and placed upon a working surface (not shown) with the outer surface ofthe material forwardly or upwardly. This is seen in Figure 7. Here, thefacing 24 will be in a left-hand position as viewed in Figure 1.

From the position shown in Figure '7, the then left portion is broughtforwardly or upwardly and to the right in the direction of the arrow 53,so that a temporary fold 55 is formed with the edge 35 displaced aslight distance to the right (as viewed in Figure 8) of the edge 25.This distance between the edges 38 and 29 is shown enlarged in Figure10, and may be referred to as the overlap distance 50. It is thisdistance which affects the overlap in the finally manufactured vent, andeffects concealment of the seam formed by the row of stitches as (Figure13). While it is desirable to have a substantial distance between theedges 35 and 25, the material 25 disposed at the upper end 21, and inthe immediate vicinity thereabove, has to be contracted in order toavoid an unsightly pucker. The distance 56 therefor is affected by thecontractibility or compressibility of the material 20. Softer or moreloosely woven materials may therefore be coordinated material is inwitha greater distance 55, while hard finished or closely woven materialsrequire a lesser distance 50. We have found that a satisfactory distanceranges between inch and inch.

With the parts in the displaced position shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10,the overlap fixing stitches 5| are placed in a row, the upper end 52 ofwhich terminates in the fold 49 and the lower end 53 terminates slightlybelow the upper end 21 of the cut 25. This forms the tuck 64. It willthus be seen that the stitches 5| are slightly diagonally arranged, theangularity of the row being determined by the distance 59, and by thelength of said row of stitches 5|. The length of the row is notcritical, and is preferably between inch and inch.

Turning now to Figure 11, the fold 49 has been opened by movement of theportion 41 in a direction opposite to that of the arrow 48, and thepanel 22 has been reversed so that the parts occupy the position theyhad in Figure 4. In Figure 11 it will be noted that the edges 55 of thefacing 23 has secured thereto a lining element 56 which is preferablycomposed of satin or the like. The lining element 56 is secured upon theunexposed surface of the inner facing 23, as viewed in Figure 11, by arow of stitches 51, and opposed portions 58 and 59 of the upper edge ofthe element 56 are joined by stitches to to produce the closed top ofthe triangular configuration shown in Figure 11. The inner facing 23, ifit is not already overlapping the facing 24, is brought over the latterand the upper portions of the inner facings 23 and 24 are joined by theinterconnecting stitches 61.

The area 62 on Figure 11 lies above the end 52 of the stitches 5| (saidstitches not being seen in Figure 11) and at this stage of the processis full and forms a protuberance or pucker. This pucker is seen inFigures 13 and 14. The tuck 64 is seen in Figure 15.

In the next step of the present method, the pucker 63 is flattened andmaintained in a substantially planar position by a retainer element 65.The retainer element is preferably composed of a flexible material whichhas a low degree of resiliency and stretchability. We have found atightly woven textile fabric to be suitable for this purpose, and theretainer element is preferably secured to the material 28 on the innersurface 35 thereof by a suitable adhesive 61. This entire puckerreducing operation may be performed in the presence of heat and pressureas by ironing on a piece of mending tape. The adhesive 61 is preferablyheat controlled and may be composed of thermoplastic or thermo-settingmaterials, as for example, gutta percha, or heat affected syntheticresins, including cellulose acetate, or vinyl copolymer. Other adhesivesknown in the tailoring trade may be used. The size and shape of theretainer element 65 should be sufiicient to cover the area which formsthe pucker 63 and should not be so large as to be exposed beyond theedges of the lining element 56.

Turning to Fig. 18, the inner facing positioning stitches 68 areinstalled. These stitches are preferably placed at an angle (see Figure2), and at the upper end 69, meet the upper end 52 of the stitches 5!.The stitches 68 at the lower end 15 preferably terminate at a heightsubstantially equal to the lower end 53 of the stitches 5|. The stitches58 tend to maintain the inner facing 23 in a substantially coplanarposition with respect to the panel 22.

Turning to Figure 19, the lining element 56 is folded to the left (withrespect to Figure 18) about the edge 55 as a pivot, and secured in placeby a row of blind stitches 12.

Turning to Figure 21, the bottom edge 26 is provided with a binding 73and folded inwardly and upwardly about the fold M, which forms thebottom free edge of the garment l9 and particularly the coat rear panel22. The edge 26 and the binding 13 may be secured in any suitable mannerwell known in the art as by concealed stitches not shown.

It may thus be seen that we have provided a novel and useful coat ventconstruction which affords all of the utility of known ventconstructions, but which is combined with a garment having a planar orunitary piece of fabric. Our vent construction may be utilized onvarious types of garment portions where it is desired to have an openingwhich extends from the unitary or unseamed fabric panel.

We claim:

1. Coat vent construction comprising: a unitary garment panel havinginner and outer surfaces, and having a free edge and a slit extendingfrom said free edge; a first edge of said slit being folded to provide afinished edge; a facing strip joined by an inwardly disposed seam tosaid garment panel, bordering a second edge of said slit and extendinglaterally in a direction toward said first edge of said slit, and lyingin abutting relationship substantially in the plane of that portion ofsaid garment panel adjacent said second edge; a tapered tuck adjustmentthe closed end of said slit and maintained in predetermined size andshape by stitch means disposed substantially parallel to the axis ofsaid slit and extending substantially the length of said tuck; thewidest portion of said tuck being of a width sufiicient shape by stitchmeans to cause said finished edge to overlie said facing strip and seam,the predetermined shape and location of said tuck maintaining saidfinished edge in substantially parallel relationship with respect tosaid seam.

2. Coat vent construction comprising: a unitary garment panel havinginner and outer surfaces, and having a free edge and a slit extendingfrom said free edge; a first edge of said slit being folded to provide afinished edge; a facing strip joined by an inwardly disposed seam tosaid garment panel, bordering a second edge of said slit and extendinglaterally in a direction toward said first edge of said slit, and lyingin abutting relationship substantially in the plane of that portion ofsaid garment panel adjacent said second edge; a tapered tuck adjacentthe closed end of said slit and maintained in predetermined size anddisposed substantially parallel to the axis of said slit and extendingsubstantially the length of said tuck; the widest portion of said tuckbeing of a width suflicient to cause said finished edge to overlie saidfacing strip and seam, the predetermined shape and location of said tuckmaintaining said finished edge in substantially parallel relationshipwith respect to said seam; and means including a patch adhesivelysecured to the inner surface of said garment panel for maintaining thatportion of the same adjacent the narrow end of said tuck insubstantially planar condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

